It was during my secondary school years that I began to hate how the school curriculum forces students to learn things that are not actually necessary, all in the name of being broad in all subjects. No lies, knowing how to speak French for someone whose official language is English is beneficial because it comes with many advantages, but it should not be forced upon anyone. I have friends who are willingly learning other languages like Spanish and German, and the key word here is willingness.
During my secondary school years, French was a compulsory subject, and we were unfortunate to have a teacher with serious anger issues. I remember clearly that even before I gained admission into high school, I was already aware of the teacher, and we were given some tips on how to avoid provoking his anger. These included buying the textbooks, doing his assignments, and never missing his class.
The French teacher, Mr. Akpone, looked calm from afar, but whenever he was close and teaching, he was dangerous.
One of the most dreaded moments with him that I cannot forget in a hurry was the day he beat the hell out of us for no just cause.
On that eventful day, there was no teacher available, so Mr. Akpone decided to use the free periods all for himself. He started teaching us immediately after the assembly that early morning. He was teaching us how to read the time on a clock in French, and the lesson was extremely tough for us because everything seemed blank to our eyes and ears. He taught us until 12 noon when the bell for break time rang. We thought we would be allowed to go and have fun like our mates in other classes, but this man refused—he kept teaching.
When he noticed that most of us were no longer concentrating and were eager to go out for a break, he decided to give us an option. He announced that anyone who felt tired and wanted to leave could do so, while those who wished to stay and continue learning could remain.
Oh boy! Knowing the kind of person Mr. Akpone was, fear did not allow most of us to leave for break because we believed he would mercilessly flog those who left. Only about eight or nine students summoned the courage to leave, while the majority of us stayed put, wanting to be known as the obedient ones.
A few minutes after we continued, he gave us a classwork exercise, and every one of us failed.
Source
Mr. Akpone flew into a rage. He called one of the teachers to help him fetch his special cane, which he kept in the staff room and rarely used. Mr. Akpone flogged us mercilessly. Cries filled the classroom, and he was soaked in sweat, but none of these concerned him. That day, the students who had left for the break laughed at us so much, and that was when I realized that sometimes, disobedience has its advantages too. From that day, we hated the French teacher even more.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Hiveghana prompt of the week.
We all had teachers like this, my social studies teacher will copy notes and even want to use break period to do same.